Gordon
Gordon *'Number': 4 *'Class': "A0" Pacific *'Designer': Sir Nigel Gresley *'Builder': Doncaster Works, rebuilt Crewe Works *'Configuration': 4-6-2 *'Built': 1922, rebuilt 1939 *'Arrived on Sodor': 1923 *'Top Speed': 108 mph Gordon is a bright blue pompous express engine. He is Flying Scotsman's only remaining brother and Mallard, Green Arrow, and Spencer's cousin. Bio in Railway Series Gordon was built experimentally by Sir Nigel Gresley at Doncaster Works between 1920 and 1922 as an "A0" Pacific. When Gresley was finished using Gordon for designing his A1 Pacifics, he sold Gordon, along with a spare boiler and firebox, to the North Western Railway. Gordon is mainly used for passenger duties, pulling the North Western Railway 's express, the Wild Nor' Wester, but has occasionally pulled goods trains. He has been known to run into ditches and stop on hills to get out of doing these jobs, as he believes that these are below him. In 1939, Gordon went to Crewe for a rebuild. His conjugated valve gear was replaced by a two-cylinder chassis (designed by the Fat Controller), he received a smoother running plate, Stanier underframes wheels, cylinders, squared-off side windows, rectangular buffers, and a Fowler tender. Gordon has become famous after his adventures: In 1953 he pulled Queen Elizabeth II's royal train and in 1956 he traveled to London, where he was lauded by a large crowd. Gordon did not like the visit, however, as he discovered that London's big station was St. Pancras. Then, in 1986, Gordon got to visit Carlisle when a Diesel taking a Railtour failed. In 2011, he was dismissed from pulling the express regularly to Barrow due to the purchase of Pip and Emma. He likes this, because he can do two trips a day instead of one and he does not have to hurry. Bio in Television Series Gordon has to date been the fastest engine on Sodor, but has sometimes had accidents, due to him trying to show off. In the fifth season, his brakes were not working, and could not stop, in result of him crashing through the Kirk Ronan Station wall. Also, in the sixth season, he ignored Salty's advice about going slow while pulling trucks, in result of him speeding down a rickety old branch line, and tumbling into a field. Though he has proven to not be too big for his wheels, and be useful instead, like when Spencer first arrived on Sodor, he gave him advice about taking on water before going to Maron Station, in result, he ran out of water on Gordon's Hill, and Gordon had to pull him there. In the tenth season, he, along with Edward, criticized Rocky when he first arrived on Sodor, and called him "new-fangled nonsense." Afterward, when he crashed into Edward's pipes, which had fallen off his flatbeds, he derailed. In result, Rocky came, and lifted him, and the pipes back onto the rails, proving how useful he is. In the twelfth season, he tried taking a shortcut in order to beat Stanley to Great Waterton, but accidentally crashed into Ben's logs, but luckily, saved Stanley from crashing into them, on the track below. In the fifteenth season, he was given the task of taking The Lion of Sodor to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's summer house with Ferdinand, but ignored his advice about going slowly over the Fenland, in result of the statue falling into the muddy marsh. After the statue was cleaned, Gordon let Ferdinand be his front engine, and they delivered the statue safely to the summer house. They have since then been good friends. In the special, King of the Railway, he and Spencer had multiple races to prove which engine was fastest, but then ran into Connor and Caitlin, and decided to just focus on beating them. In the seventeenth season, he, along with the rest of the steam team, had to find places to sleep, when the turntable at Tidmouth Sheds was frozen, so he decided to sleep there, in the one accessible berth, in result of him getting stuck in there the next morning, and remaining there for the rest of the day. He has since become a more sensible engine. Persona Gordon's important position as the engine who usually pulls the Express has made him proud, pompous and arrogant, with good reason too; he is the strongest engine on Sodor. Gordon's philosophy "tender engines don't shunt" meant that he looked down on tank engines and tender engines who do shunt, but after being locked in the shed with Henry and James after going on strike, he seems to have abandoned this philosophy. Because of his rank in the social order of the North Western Railway, Gordon expects to get the important jobs and either sulks when he does not, or gets jealous of those who do. Sometimes, Gordon acts as a bully, particularly towards Edward, but following misadventures where Edward had to help him, Gordon had to acknowledge that despite being old, Edward is still a very useful engine. Sometimes Gordon shows a kinder side and gives the younger engines advice, usually after he has had some mishap as a result of his foolhardiness. Some of his advice is not exactly honest, though, as James and Sir Handel have discovered. Basis According to Sudrian "historian" Martin Clutterbuck, Gordon is supposed to be an experimental prototype for Sir Nigel Gresley's A1 Pacific design for the Great Northern Railway - the so-called "A0". Gordon was then built at Doncaster Works, Yorkshire, and tested against a similar NER Pacific in 1923. Gordon, being an experimental engine, never received a number, and was later rebuilt at Crewe with LMS underparts and a six-wheel tender, owing to various problems. Gordon has since been rebuilt below the footplate according to Stanier designs, his running plate being Sir Topham Hatt's own design. Livery Gordon is painted NWR blue with NWR red-and-yellow lining and the number "4" painted on his tender sides in yellow. Before arriving on Sodor, he was painted Doncaster green with white and black lining. In the Railway Series, he carries two builder's plates on the sides of his cab. Appearances Voice Actors * Neil Crone (Thomas and the Magic Railroad) * Keith Wickham (UK; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Kerry Shale (US; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Kenji Utsumi (Japan; first - eighth seasons) * Kenta Miyake (Japan; Calling All Engines! onwards) * Thierry Kazazian (France and French speaking Canada) * Øyvind Borgemoen Lyse (Norway; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Norbert Gescher (Germany; Thomas and the Magic Railroad) * Tetje Mierendorf (Germany; twelfth season onwards) * Sławomir Pacek (Poland; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Nir Ron (Israel) Theme Instrumental Trivia * One of Gordon's models is currently on display in Canada at Nitrogen Studios. * As of the CGI television series, Gordon's catchphrase is "Oh, the indignity!" * Gordon is named after a rude boy that lived on the Awdrys' street when Christopher was a child. * The official website inaccurately states that Gordon is a "Liner" (LNER) A3 Pacific. * Since Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Gordon's rear bogie has been joined to his driving wheel chassis and extra red lining was added to the cab side of his tender. * In the 4th and 5th seasons, Gordon's brake pipe had been facing downwards. In Thomas and the Magic Railroad onwards, his brake pipe has been facing upwards again. Quotes :"If you were a nice tank engine, you'd be alright!" - Gordon's driver and fireman, Tender and Turntables, Troublesome Engines. Merchandise * ERTL (normal and Gold Rail; both discontinued) * Wooden Railway (normal and limited edition A Better View for Gordon) * Take-Along (normal, metallic, and lights and sounds; discontinued) * My First Thomas * Motor Road and Rail (normal and talking; discontinued ouside Asia) * TrackMaster (normal, talking, RC, and greatest moments) * Hornby * Bachmann * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued) * Bandai (several versions; discontinued) * Take-n-Play (normal, talking, and pull back) * De Agostini * Trading Cards * Tomica * Brio (discontinued) * Wind-up (normal,several different expressions and metallic) * Pez * Nakayoshi * Mega Bloks * Diablock * Collectible Railway * Motorized Railway * Push Along * Departing Now * Padlock and Key * Switch-On Keychains * Micro Rubber Engines Gallery File:TheRevrend'sGordonmodel.jpg|Awdry's model of Gordon File:Edward,Gordon&HenryRS2.PNG|Gordon in The Three Railway Engines File:GordonGoesForeignRS6.PNG|Gordon going to London File:TendersforHenryRS2.png File:Gordon'sFireServiceRS1.png File:Gordon'sFireServiceRS6.png File:ThomasandGordon83.png File:PercyRunsAway3.png|Gordon in the sheds File:Edward,GordonandHenry22.PNG File:WhistlesandSneezes7.png File:TendersandTurntables13.png|Gordon on the turntable File:OfftheRails1.png|Gordon resting File:GordonTakesaDip.PNG File:DucktakesCharge19.png|Gordon's whistle File:WrongRoad17.png File:WrongRoad21.png|Gordon in Wrong Road File:Edward'sExploit57.png|Gordon in Edward's Exploit File:TheTroublewithMud56.png File:TenderEngines1.jpg File:ThomasandtheU.K.Trip8.png|Gordon with Percy in Thomas and the UK Trip File:PaintPotsandQueens3.jpg|Gordon and the Queen File:Trucks!24.png File:ABadDayforSirHandel29.png File:ABetterViewforGordon12.png File:ABetterViewforGordon31.png File:ThomasandtheMagicRailroad116.png File:GordonTakesaTumble13.png|Gordon in the mud File:Thomas,PercyandtheSqueak15.jpg File:BestDressedEngine48.png File:PercyGetsitRight16.png File:JamesandtheQueenofSodor46.png File:Percy'sBigMistake16.jpg File:CallingAllEngines!70.png File:CallingAllEngines!160.png File:CallingAllEngines!179.png File:RespectforGordon37.png File:RespectforGordon5.png File:Molly'sSpecialSpecial74.png File:It'sGoodtobeGordon16.png File:GordonandtheEngineer54.jpg File:TheGreatDiscovery93.png File:GordonTakesaShortcut39.png|Gordon with a CGI face File:HerooftheRails437.png|Gordon in full CGI File:SnowTracks51.png File:MistyIslandRescue502.png File:ThomasinCharge3.jpg File:ThomasinCharge28.jpg|Gordon's backhead File:GordonandFerdinand69.png File:PercytheSnowman41.png|Gordon having his snowplough fitted File:BustMyBuffers!23.png|Gordon without a bufferbeam File:BustMyBuffers!44.png File:KingoftheRailway45.png File:KingoftheRailway200.png|Gordon's wheels File:KingoftheRailway81.PNG File:GordonRunsDry46.png File:TheLostPuff52.png File:GoneFishing(episode)50.png|Gordon and Harvey File:TheAfternoonTeaExpress16.png File:Gordon'sModelSpecification.PNG|Gordon's model specifications File:Gordonwithnameboard.png|Gordon with his nameboard File:GordonSeason1Promo.jpg|A promotional image of Gordon from Season 1 File:GordonwithExpressCoaches.PNG|A promotional image of Gordon from the first season File:GordonFront.jpeg|Head-on model promo File:GordonandHenrypromo.jpg|Gordon and Henry at the the Windmill promo image File:GordonandHenry.png File:GordonandHenrySeason8promo.jpg File:GordonCGIPromo2.png File:GordonCGIPromo3.jpg File:GordonatBrendamDockspromotionalposter.jpg File:JamesandGordonCGIPromo.jpg File:PointsofnoReturn1.png|Gordon with James and Henry as illustrated by David Palmer File:TimetableTrouble3.jpg|Gordon in a magazine story File:Gordon'sExpress1.png File:TheReallyUsefulTractionEngine3.png|Gordon in an annual story File:TheGreatFestivalAdventure18.jpg|Gordon in The Great Festival Adventure File:TroubleontheTracks(PCGame)66.jpg|Gordon in Trouble on the Tracks File:TheTrainShedPark13.JPG|Gordon at the Train shed theme park Merchandise Gallery File:GordonERTL.jpg|ERTL File:BachmannGordon.jpg|Bachmann File:HornbyGordon.jpg|Hornby File:OriginalWoodenRailwayGordon.jpg|Original Wooden Railway File:GordonWooden.jpg|Wooden Railway File:2013WoodenRailwayGordon.jpg|2013 Wooden Railway File:WoodenEarlyEngineersGordon.jpg|Early Engineers File:BrioGordon.png|Brio File:Take-AlongGordon.jpg|Take-Along File:Take-n-PlayGordon.jpg|Take-n-Play File:CollectibleRailwayGordon.jpg|Collectible Railway File:MyFirstThomasGordon.jpg|My First Thomas File:TOMYGordon.jpg|Motor Road and Rail File:TrackMasterGordon.png|TrackMaster File:2014TrackMasterGordon.JPG|2014 TrackMaster File:TomicaGordon.jpg|Tomica File:LegoGordon.jpg|Lego File:MegaBloksGordon.jpg|Mega Bloks File:MegabloksGordonwithmatchingbridge.jpg|Mega Bloks with matching bridge File:MegaBloks2014Gordon.jpg File:DiablockGordon.jpg|Diablock File:NakayoshiGordon.jpg|Nakayoshi File:MotorizedRailwayGordon.jpg|Motorized Railway File:Wind-upGordon.jpg|Wind-up File:Wind-upMetallicGordon.jpg|Metallic Wind Up File:WindUpGoldGordon.jpg|Gold Wind Up File:Wind-upSilverGordon.jpg|Silver Wind Up File:DeAgostiniGordon.jpg|De Agostini File:BandaiTECGordon.jpg|Bandai TEC File:PushAlongGordon.jpg|Push Along File:DepartingNowGordon.png|Departing Now File:GordonPadlockandKey.jpg|Padlock and Key File:Switch-OnKeychainGordon.jpg|Switch-On Keychain File:PezHenryandGordon.jpg|Pez with Henry File:MicroRubberEdward,Henry,andGordon.jpg|Micro Rubber with Edward and Henry File:MyThomasStoryLibraryGordon.png|My Thomas Story Library book File:Gordon2011StoryLibrarybook.jpg|2011 Story Library book See also * Category:Images of Gordon Category:North Western Railway Category:Steam locomotives Category:Tender engines Category:4-6-2 Category:The Main Line Category:The Kirk Ronan Branch Line